A Case of Conscience is a science fiction novel by James Blish, first published in 1958. It is the story of a Jesuit who investigates an alien race that has no religion; they are completely without any concept of God, an afterlife, or the idea of sin; and the species evolves through several forms through the course of its life cycle. The story was originally published as a novella in 1953, and later extended to novel-length, of which the first part is the original novella. The novel is the first part of Blish's thematic “After Such Knowledge” trilogy, followed by Black Easter / The Day After Judgment and Dr Mirabilis . The story is unusual in several respects. Few science fiction stories of the time attempted religious themes, and still fewer did this with Catholicism. Some of the first part is taken up with the Jesuit's attempt to solve a puzzle, a long description of scandalous intrigue between various pseudonymous characters. As he is about to leave for Earth, he realizes the puzzle is soluble. The puzzle is contained within the pages of Finnegans Wake , by James Joyce. Many reacted negatively to the story, but surprisingly few educated Catholics were among them. One even sent James Blish a copy of the actual Church guidelines for dealing with extraterrestrials. These are not detailed, but merely suggest overall strategy based on whether the beings have souls or not, and if they have them, whether they are fallen like humans, or exist in a state of grace. Won Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1959. Views: 39
Three short prequel stories for the upcoming release of Ideal Insurgent, but these stories can stand on their own. Find out how Bryder meets Nayna, Bryder meets Damon, and what makes Nayna so damn special, especially paired up with Bryder. Views: 39
Moll Pecksniff and her friends are living as outlaws in a secret cave by the sea, desperate to stay hidden from the Shadowmasks. But further along the coast lies the Amulet of Truth, the only thing powerful enough to force the Shadowmasks back and contain their dark magic. So, together with Gryff, the wildcat that's always by her side, and her best friends Alfie and Sid, Moll must sneak past smugglers, outwit mer creatures and crack secret codes to save the Old Magic. With more at stake than ever before and the dark magic rising fast, can Moll and her friends stop the Shadowmasks before it's too late? Perfect for fans of J.K Rowling, Piers Torday and Michelle Paver. Views: 39
Science Fiction. 76372 words long. Views: 39
Рассказ вошёл в сборники: I Sing the Body Electric (Электрическое тело пою) The Stories of Ray Bradbury (И грянул гром: 100 рассказов) Views: 39
While at her friend, Mary K's house, Alisa steals a Book of Shadows from Mary K's elder sister, Morgan. Alisa is inexplicably drawn to the book. She makes the shocking discovery that this Book of Shadows was written by her mother, which means that Alisa is half-witch. She turns to Morgan and Hunter, both blood-witches, for support and development of her powers. Her revelation comes just in time, for the dark wave is upon them and the witches of the Kithic coven join forces to defeat this evil before it destroys everything in its path. Views: 39
As powerful magic comes creeping back, dangerous days are dawning… Criminal Investigation Division inspectors Janus Mikani and Celeste Ritsuko were lucky to make it out of their last mission alive. Since then, strange troubles have plagued the city of steam and shadows, apparently as a result of magic released during the CID inspectors’ desperate interruption of an ancient ritual. The fabric of the world has been unsettled, and the Council has assigned Mikani and Ritsuko to investigate. They soon discover that matters are worse than they imagined. Machines have developed minds of their own, cragger pirates are raiding the seas with relentless aggression, and mad elementals are running amok. As the chaos builds to a crescendo, Mikani and Ritsuko must fight a war on two fronts—and this time, they may not be able to turn the deadly tide… Views: 39
